Adjustable book rack



Nov. 24, 1959 s, vu 2,914,183 ADJUSTABLE BOOK RACK Filed Feb. 7. 195a 25E f 1 Eh.

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' JOHNS. vu/c/ United States Patent O'ice ADJUSTABLE BOOK RACK John S. Vuici, Grosse Pointe, Mich.

Application February 7, 1958, Serial No. 713,841

2 Claims. (Cl. 211-48) This invention relates to racks for books and the like, and particularly to such racks as are provided with book ends relatively adjustable for selective spacing thereof.

An object of the invention is to adapt a pair of book ends upstanding from and slidably engaging and supporting a plurality of elongated rods to resist undesired sliding of said book ends from a selective spacing thereof.

Another object is to provide means to interconnect and cover the corresponding ends of such rods to maintain the rack in assembly and to serve as bumpers for said ends.

These and various other objects are attained by the construction hereinafter described and illustrated by the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. l is a top plan view of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a side view on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an end view on the line 3--3 of Fig. 2.

In these views, the reference character 1 designates a plurality of substantially parallel rods occupying a common, normally horizontal plane to form a support for books (not shown). Such rods may be equally spaced. A pair of book ends 2 extend vertically upward from said rods, and have appropriately spaced holes 3 through which the latter pass, to be supported in a somewhat elevated position above a surface A (shown in dash lines, Figs. 2 and 3) of a shelf, desk, or the like. The book ends 2 are slidable on said rods to aiford selective spacing of such ends.

The rods are preferably equal in length, and the described assembly is retained by a cross-member 5 at each end of the rods. Such cross-member is formed of rubber or the like, and is provided with undersized sockets 6 to receive the corresponding end of the rods. Insertion of the rod ends in said sockets effects sufiicient compression of the material to removably retain the crossmembers in position,v where they additionally serve as bumpers to protect furniture, etc., from scratching or marring in case of accidental contact with the ends of the rack.

The aforesaid holes 3 are of a diameter predetermined to afford a slight tilting of the book ends longitudinally of the rods to establish a binding engagement of the rods in said holes. Such engagement resists any undeiatented Nov. 24, 1959 sired sliding of the book ends 2 from an established spaced relationship. As the entire Weight of the construction and books thereon would rest on the bottom edges of the book ends 2, it is desirable to apply feet 7 to said edges, such feet being preferably of rubber, whereby their engagement with a surface A further tends to resist sliding of the book ends from a desired spacing.

A further benefit derived from the described construction is apparent where a surface A is slightly uneven, or some discrepancy in dimensions of the feet might result in an unstable seating of the construction on said surface. The size of the holes 3 and employment of the resilient cross-members 5, afford a flexing or dis tortion of the rack formed by the rods to effect firm contact of each foot 7 on a surface A. Such situation is not illustrated but is readily conceivable.

What I claim is:

1. An adjustable hook rack comprising a plurality of spaced parallel book-supporting rods normally occupying a substantially horizontal plane, a pair of book ends upstanding from the rods and having holes receiving and slightly elevating the rods, said holes affording a sliding movement of the book ends longitudinally of the rods for selective spacing of the former, said book ends being tiltable in the longitudinal direction of the rods to eflect a binding engagement thereof in said holes to resist undesired sliding movement of the book ends, a plurality of feet carried by the book ends and engageable with any suitable surface to support the rack, such engagement further resisting said undesired sliding movement, said rods being predeterminedly flexible, and resiliently flexible members respectively capping and interconnecting the respective end portions of said rods, whereby said rods may distort from said normal horizontal plane to afford stable seating of each of said feet on an uneven surface.

2. An adjustable book rack comprising a plurality of spaced parallel book-supporting rods occupying a sub-' stantially horizontal plane, a pair of book-ends upstanding from said rods and having holes receiving the rods and affording a sliding movement of the book ends longitudinally of the rods for selective spacing of such ends, said book-ends extending downwardly from said plane to form seats for said rack and to elevate the rods above a surface engaged by said seats, and a pair of rubberlike members interconnecting corresponding ends of the rods and socketed to receive such ends and serving as bumpers for such ends, and compressed by the rods to firmly grip said ends.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 518,573 'Parker Apr. 17, 1894 2,510,077 Coffman June 6, 1950 2,620,929 Sportsman Dec. 9, 1952 

